A. Field of the Invention
The Invention is an apparatus, kit and method for tramming the table of a machine tool using an alignment tool. The tram adapter apparatus may be used with the alignment tools taught by U.S. Pat. No. 7,069,666 issued Jul. 4, 2006, U.S. Pat. No. 6,832,440 issued Dec. 21, 2004, both to Joseph Navarro et al, and application Ser. No. 15/231,718 by Joseph Navarro filed Aug. 8, 2016 all of which are incorporated by reference as if set forth in full herein.
The term ‘alignment tool’ is not limited to the alignment tools of the patents and application referred to above and includes any other tool having one or more indicators using a plunger and that may be attached to the spindle of a machine tool for aligning the spindle to the table of the machine tool. The Invention also may be used to move any indicator having a plunger to a retracted position, regardless of whether the indicator is a part of an alignment tool.
The Invention includes the tram adapter, a kit comprising the alignment tool and a tram adapter, a method for tramming the table of a machine tool, and a method of retaining an indicator plunger in a retracted position using the adapter.
B. Statement of the Related Art
A machinist may make the spindle of a machine tool perpendicular to the table of the machine tool by ‘tramming;’ that is, by mounting a single indicator to the spindle so that the line of actuation of the indicator tip is generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the spindle and in a spaced-apart relation to the axis of rotation of the spindle. The machinist will advance the spindle towards the table or the table toward the spindle until the indicator tip touches the table and the indicator has a reading. The machinist will then ‘sweep’ the table by rotating the spindle and by noting the changes to the indicator reading for different angular positions of the spindle. The machinist will adjust the relative angles of the spindle, the table or both until the changes in reading of the indicator as the machinist sweeps the table are within acceptable limits. The spindle is then adequately perpendicular to the table.
Because alignment of the spindle and the table are critical for accurate machining, many machinists prefer to use two different techniques to (a) align the spindle and table and then (b) to check that alignment. The techniques may be drawn from the patents and applications referred to above, to the method described above of tramming the table of the machine tool, or any other method or apparatus known in the art, including the use of alignment tools that incorporate one or more indicators.